Apparatus for the treatment of fruit pomace



1945. E. K. METZNER 2, ,1 5

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF FRUIT POMACE Original Filed Dec. 23, 1941 INVENTOR [rnes/ I ur/ Mayne/- ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1945 APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF FRUIT POMACE Ernest Kurt Metzner, Cloverdale, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Stauifer Chemical Company, a corporation of California Original application December 23. 1941, Serial No.

424,161. Divided and this application September 21, 1942, Serial No, 459,178

2 Claims. c1. 23-267) This invention relates to the recovery from pomace of the ethyl alcohol'and tartrate values therein. A considerabl number of patents have been issued heretofore on the batch recovery from pomace of tartrate values therein. So far as I am aware none of these have been in use p for a long time.

The reason usually given why no attempt has been made to recover the tartrate values or the alcohol from the pomace is that the recoverable quantities in the pomace and the actual recovernormally closed chamber 6 generally extended horizontally. A hopper I is provided at one end of this chamber to receive pomace and feed it into, the chamber. A screw conveyor flight generally indicated at 8 is provided within the cham-' ber and is normally rotated to feed the material to the left-hand end of the figure in the drawies are too low to support the capital investment and operating costs. -I have found that by operating on a continuous basis relatively high percentage recoveries can be secured at low cost. For example, a typical grape pomace contains only about 3% or less of tartaric acid on a wet basis. Processing a given weight of grape pomace containing this percentage of tartaric acid by batch methods resulted in a relatively low recovery of the tartrate values. Operating continuously one like batch of material, the material was handled more economically and, at the same time, practically the entire tartaric acid content was recovered. In addition, I have found it. possible to recover the ethyl alcohol content of the pomace as well as. the tartrate content, the two operations supplementing one another, the alcohol removal facilitating. subsequent recovery of the tartrate values.

Another distinct advantage of the present invention is that the pomace,afte'r recovery of the alcohol and tartrate values; is rendered physically suitable for application as a fertilizer or as a cattle-feed material. a

In general it is the broad object of the invening, the material being advanced continuously through the closed chamber, the hopper I being normally s0 filled with material that vapors cannot escape. Preferably the screw conveyor flight is hollow so that the mass undergoing the passage through the chamber can be heated by passing a hot fluid through the hollow conveyor flight. Such a conveyor is well known generally in the art and as typical of such a structure, reference is made to the Higbie Patent 192,069 of June 19,1877. I

At a plurality of points along the closed chamgo ber, washwater is introduced through spray nozzles 9. The washwater is preferably heated to leach from the pomace alcohol contained therein. The washwater is drained ofi of the chamber through screens H and drains l2, the Washwater being removed through a pipe 13 into a tion to provide a process and a suitable appa- I ratus for the continuous treatment of pomace to the end that recovery of the alcohol content of the pomace can be achieved together with recovery of the tartrate values whilethe remaining solid materials are rendered suitable for application asa fertilizer or for use as a cattlefeed material.

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will appearhereinafter wherein the present preferred process of this invention is disclosed- I In the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof, the single figure in the drawing is a diagrammatic view illustrating apparatus. The process will be described in conjunction with operation of the apparatus.

In accordance with this invention I provide a vessel I4 .wherein it is collected for subsequent distillation."Any alcoholic vapors arising from the pomace in the chamber are' collected in the header I5 and are removed through the pipe IE to condenser ll. Liquid condensate in the condenser is removed through pipe is Whichis connected with pipe l3.

The substantially alcohol-free pomace passes downwardly through pipe l9 from the chamber 6. The end of pipe I9 is normally beneath the liquid level 20 ina trough 2| so that vapor escaping from the closed chamber is prevented. Trough 2| extends horizontally and is relatively deep so that pomace therein is subject to adequate contact with a' suitable heated treatment solution. .A suitable conveyor 22 is provided in the trough to move the pomace therein continuously through the trough and the solution therein. While this conveyor can take various forms, I have conveniently used a cleat conveyor. At the end of the trough opposite to the pomace inlet I provide an incline section generally indicated at 23. The cleat conveyor is adapted to move up this incline so that the treatment solution drains from the pomace. The liquid in the trough is preferably heated as by suitable steam jets (not shown). In addition, baiiies (not shown) are placed in the trough to assure that the pomace remains in the trough for a sumcient length of time.

The inclined portion 23 has a false screen bottom indicated at 24 over which the pomace is moved by the cleats of the conveyor which keeps the screen open and the liquid drains freely. A. pump indicated generally at 25 is provided. This pump has an inlet indicated at 26 placed-at a suitable elevation on the trough, the pump drawintroducing material to be extracted onto said conveyor, heating means associated with said chamber for heating material on said conveyor,

- means for introducing a'first solvent liquid onto ing off excess treating solution adjacent the point of connection of the inclined portion 23.

A second cleat conveyor indicated at 3| is provided, this conveyor being placed in a position to receive the drained pomace discharged from conveyor 22 and move it along over a screen 35. A plurality of water sprays indicated at 32 are positioned to spray the drained pomace and to remove any tartrate solution adhering thereto.

, The washing conveyor 3! has a drain trough 33 below screen 35; a pipe 34 connected therewith drains the washwater into the trough 2| at the pomace inlet end. Adjacent the end of conveyor 3| several pressing rolls 38 are provided to remove excess liquid in the pomace. The pomace leaving the conveyor 3| is useful as a feeder fertilizer for it is well stabilized, free of alcohol, while the ma-- terials providing excess acidity therein, which made it objectionable as a feed and injurious as a fertilizer, have been removed.

The untreated pomace is preferably treated with a relatively dilute treatment solution, one lean in tartrates, as this hastens tartrate solution. The solution rate of the tartrates is relatively low; its concentration in the treatment solution is always relatively low in trough 2|. 'By operating in the manner indicated, good recoveries are achieved.

The solution removed from the extraction trough can be used for the production of any desired tartrate material. The treatment solution itself can be of any desired composition. I have successfully used water containing a small amount of hydrochloric acid, but any other suitable leaching solution or a solvent can be employed instead. The solution is preferably heated to hasten extraction, a temperature between 90-200 F. usually sufllcing.

The term pomace or "fruit pomace has been used herein and in the claims in a broad sense as applying not only to the usual grape pomacebut to other materials such as lees or pomace derived from suitable fruits other than grapes and apples.

This is a division of application Serial No. 424,161 filed December 23, 1941.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for recovering extractible values from a solid material comprising a closed chamher, a conveyer extending through said chamber for continuously moving a mass of said material through said chamber from one end to the other end, means at said one end of said chamber for material on said conveyor adjacent said other end of said chamber, an outlet adjacent said one end of said chamber for said first solvent liquid, a vapor outlet arranged to conduct vapors from said chamber, a trough, an overflow outlet from said trough atone end thereof for a second solvent liquid, a 'solid material outlet from said chamber extending into said trough adjacent the other end thereof and below the level of said outlet from said trough, a first cleat conveyor in said trough for continuously moving solid material delivered from said chamber outlet from said other trough end to said one trough end, an inclined extension at said one trough and for draining said second solvent liquid into said trough, said first cleat conveyor extending from said trough and along and above said extension to provide a drain for material thereon, a second cleat conveyor for receiving material discharged from said first conveyor and inclined upwardly from that point whereat it receives material from 4 the-first conveyor, a drain pan below said second conveyor. a conduit for liquid collected by said pan for conducting said liquid to and discharging it at the other trough end, and means for discharging fresh second solvent liquid onto material on said second conveyor.

2. Apparatus for recovering extractible values from a solid material comprising atrough. an overflow outlet from said trough at one end thereof for a solvent liquid, a first cleat conveyor in said trough for continuously moving material from said other trough end to said one trough end, said conveyor having an upper and a lower run and moving through said trough with said lower run advancing along the bottom of the trough from the other trough end to, the one trough end, means for discharging fresh solid material to be extracted between the-trough and the lower conveyor run whereby the material iscarried submerged through the trough, an inclincd extension at said one trough end for draining said solvent liquid into said trough, said first cleat conveyor extending from said trough andalong and above said extension to provide a drain for material thereon, a second cleat conveyor receiving material discharged from said first conveyor and inclined upwardly from that point whereat it receives material from the first conveyor, a drain pan below said second conveyor, a

conduit for liquid collected by said pan for conducting said liquid to and discharging it at the other trough end, and means for fresh solvent liquid onto material on said second conveyor.

ERNEST KURT sm'rznm 

